For some types of vehicles, surface navigation, particularly in compact areas, can be challenging. Aircraft are particularly challenging during surface navigation, due to their shape. When an aircraft is surface transiting through a region, even slightly misaligned stationary objects may pose a risk of undesirable contact with the aircraft. Although rare and unlikely, even slight contact, such as a wing tip collision, is undesirable.
Aircraft surface navigation usually comprises taxiing in and out of the airport terminal. Generally, the pilot and the co-pilot follow ground operational procedures while taxiing, and rely on display instruments to identify neighboring traffic and objects. In addition to following ground operational procedures, they use visual judgment to confirm that the wingtip of the aircraft does not collide with any stationary or moving objects such as other aircraft, vehicles, buildings or airport structures. A misjudgment may occur due to a lack of a 360 degree view and/or poor weather conditions, a failure to anticipate a dynamic position change within the surroundings, and/or a failure to properly visualize an expected area. In addition, a pilot is not able to see aircraft with engines off on their cockpit displays. Although rare, even a slight misjudgment may result in an undesirable contact.
Accordingly, a navigation system that processes a route plan and data from the surrounding environment to identify a potential threat of undesirable contact anywhere along the route plan is desired. The desired navigation system generates an informative, anticipative display of the vehicle's surrounding environment. When a potential threat is identified, the desired navigation system provides a visual threat alert that enables rerouting the vehicle, or communicating with the controller in clearing the original planned route, thereby averting the potential threat. The desired navigation system thereby improves overall vehicle safety, saves time, and reduces cognitive workload.